The background for this trip to the US is that adds to the long-term trend of Gamal taking a more active role in representing Egypt in DC, especially ahead of this month's door-knock mission of the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt (an occasion for influential businessmen to lobby Congress on economic and political relations with Egypt) and the expectation that Hosni Mubarak could be making his first trip to Washington in five years as Egypt mends its political relationship with the new Obama administration. Of course, presidential succession is as ever the hot topic, but it'll be interesting to see whether Gamal stakes out positions on regional and security issues as well as his more traditional economic turf.